Have you looked in your mailbox lately there seems to a deluge of request for money from so many needy charities. Although, we know that we can’t give to all of them, it seems that at this time of the year we try. It’s havest time, the crops are in and it seems only proper to share our good fortune. (Matthew 25:35-45) Out food banks are full but there are needs all year long that we should not forget as on one day of the year. We have much to be thankful. Some countries like Canada have their Thanksgiving on the first Monday in October. In the United States we celebrate next week Thursday.
We as a people are only mirroring the image of God when we are generous with our gifts and generous with our thanks. Our first reading from the Book of Maccabees is one of the historical Books of the Bible. It is not in the King James version but has numerous example of God righting a wrong and showing us that even when we think He has abandoned us, He hasn’t.
My daughter, Emily, works for a local Hospice. They have already collected food donations for families that have a member who is dying and on top of that who have limited financial resources.
We can be generous for many reasons. It is the end of the year tax time. We need to gather our charitable giving to get a tax deduction. We have so much and others so little. However, if we are truely trying to be as generous as God we need to be giving of our prayes to those in need.
Our associate Pastor, Father Vince, at the Church of Saint Mary’s in Tulsa, had a medical emergency this last week. Bless his heart he is only 30 years old. We should be generous as God is generous with our prayers and money. In the end we are made in God’s image. This is what He would do.
Giving prayers and praise to God only seems natural. When I say the “Our Father” , I always pause at the point of ” give us this day”. This day is God’s gift to us. I learned this from my buddy, Ron, who in turn learned it from his dad. The pause is important to me because that it reminds me of our fragility as humans. I know others that follow this humble practice.
Because God has been generous to us, we have a duty to be generous to others. To partially quote Saint Mother Teresa in her anywhere poem.”For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway”
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
Picture Credit :“Ecuador. Guayaquil. This bronze is titled ‘Generosity’.” by Anne & David (Use Albums) is marked with CC PDM 1.0
